Tag: Soccer Tournament

Hey GirlMoguls – today we have a real girl mogul for you, a mom who started her own company – and was inspired by you – real life girls who love sports. Read on for our interview with: MaryAnne Gucciardi, President and Founder of Dragonfly girlgear™. You can check out their gear at: www.dragonflygirlgear.com

Why did you start THIS kind of company – why did you feel that girls needed special sports gear? I started Dragonfly girlgear™ out of personal need. My daughter plays soccer and I was having a difficult time finding good fitting performance wear for girls. I realized I was not alone with this need. I was listening to another mom on the way home from a soccer tournament about how her daughter needed appropriate performance (wicking) wear and how hard it was to find something that fit well. That’s when I had an “aha” moment – I realized I could do something about this. That was March 2009 and a few months later the Un-Tee™ was developed and produced.

What does girl power mean to you? It is freedom to do what you love -no barriers, no constraints. As a parent, it means giving my daughter the freedom to be who she is, with encouragement and support and without judgment.

3. What’s the best part about being your own boss? The best part is seeing an idea become a reality. When I see an order arrive, I cannot believe these beautiful products are mine and what is even more gratifying is when I see a girl that I know wears my products, playing like a pro and knowing I helped.

The worst part? Working for yourself means a lot of hours, especially early on when you are in the start up phases. That is why it is so important to love what you are doing so it doesn’t feel burdensome.

4. Any advice for girls who want to start their own business – either now – or in the future?

1. Get confident with taking risks – it can be taking that shot at goal, trying for another basket or stealing a base, but it can also be writing something and sending it in to the newspaper.

2. Develop resilience. This has to do with how you react to failure. Brush it off and learn from it. Don’t replay that tape in your mind.

3. Read everything – you never know where the next big idea will come from.

4. Do your math – calculating sales tax, discounts and ratios are the math foundations for a future business.

5. Which public figure(s) inspire you?

Bert Goyle, Chairwoman of Columbia

Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton (Secretaries of State)

Debbie Yow, Athletic Director at NC State. (there are only three female athletic directors in the entire country)

Which private figure(s) inspire you?

My husband, son and daughter.

My favorite quote:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.“